Scubadam
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How unsafe is going to Venezuela to dive in your opinion? I have been hearing different things about being an American and going to Venezuela.
How unsafe is Venezuela really?
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Obviously this depends a GREAT deal on where in the country you are going. I've never been there, but have acquaintances who have and others who live there. I would imagine (based on their feedback) that many of the dive centers are fairly safe. It might not be so in rural areas or in the big cities like Caracas, but that's just a guess on my part.
I've considered going to Los Roques and Margarita Island in the past.
I've considered going to Los Roques and Margarita Island in the past.
phillybob
Contributor
While safety is something you should be concerned about, I'd also have a problem handing any kind of money to that tin-horned wanna-be dictator Chavez.
Caracas currently has the 2nd highest kidnapping for ransom and highest homicide rate in the world just to put things into perspective. Violent crime is endemic throughout the country, especially since institutions and rule of law have completely disintegrated.
Despite this, if you have local contacts this threat can be alleviated; It's just that the country has little tourist infrastructure and is hard for travelers if you have no local contacts.
Even though the country is a mess, Venezuelans are lovely people and there is no issue for Americans, apart from the immigration authorities who may try to extort you coming in (this happens to Venezuelans as well).
Venezuelans love to party and are very accomodating to foreigners.
Despite this, if you have local contacts this threat can be alleviated; It's just that the country has little tourist infrastructure and is hard for travelers if you have no local contacts.
Even though the country is a mess, Venezuelans are lovely people and there is no issue for Americans, apart from the immigration authorities who may try to extort you coming in (this happens to Venezuelans as well).
Venezuelans love to party and are very accomodating to foreigners.
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The diving is in Los Roques http://www.losroques.org/ and predominately Isla Margarita http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Margarita . These islands are located miles North of the coast in the Caribbean.
Margarita has become less a tropical paradise and more of a Cancun East over the years, and the diving is just about what you will find in most of the popular Caribbean islands. Los Roques is harder to dive from, certainly has never entertained the same quantity of divers, has some reasonable currents and thus... is less deteriorated than most Caribbean destinations. LR is difficult to get around within or travel widely to dive, the best way was a liveabaoard (The Hughes Antares) which is long gone. The right dive op can take you to many, may wooden wrecks from the 1800's... some days they are quite visible, some days- they are covered with sand. I have seen canons lying on the sea floor.
The "Caracas" airport is located on this Northern coast, but is many, many miles away from Caracas. You will transfer through there on your way to the Islands.
If you stay within one of these two places, you will likely have an enjoyable time.
The rest of the place is pretty much-so up for grabs.
Margarita has become less a tropical paradise and more of a Cancun East over the years, and the diving is just about what you will find in most of the popular Caribbean islands. Los Roques is harder to dive from, certainly has never entertained the same quantity of divers, has some reasonable currents and thus... is less deteriorated than most Caribbean destinations. LR is difficult to get around within or travel widely to dive, the best way was a liveabaoard (The Hughes Antares) which is long gone. The right dive op can take you to many, may wooden wrecks from the 1800's... some days they are quite visible, some days- they are covered with sand. I have seen canons lying on the sea floor.
The "Caracas" airport is located on this Northern coast, but is many, many miles away from Caracas. You will transfer through there on your way to the Islands.
If you stay within one of these two places, you will likely have an enjoyable time.
The rest of the place is pretty much-so up for grabs.
I'm with phillybob on this one. With all of the other amazing places to dive in this hemisphere, why would anyone want to pump any money into an economy run by a two-bit petty wannabe Stalinist like Chavez? I won't even buy gas from Citgo. I certainly feel compassion for the plight of Venezuelans (I'm originally from South America and can feel their pain in suffering under a tyranny). But there are ways to assist the people without indirectly supporting a despotic regime. So, IMHO, if I were you and I had a desire to dive in Central America, I'd opt for Honduras, Costa Rica or Panama.
Why, gee, thanks. I guess you really got my point.
What I have learned so far is that it really depends on where you are. One part of a town can be somewhat safe during the day but not at night. Other parts are not safe day or night while the "right" part of a town is fairly safe day and night. If at all possible find a local contact, pay them if need be. Do not take a random taxi from the Caracass airport, as a matter of fact I wouldn't wonder around outside the airport. Don't keep anything of value exposed, including your phone or passport. Being robbed is really the biggest concern. Don't trust anyone you don't know - especially if they speak English well and are at the airport. I have spent alot of time in the Eastern part of the country and know a few people there. Most people are great, friendly, and good. Knowing someone you can trust helps alot.
Your point is that you own nothing "made in China"? Or does your boycott of despotic regimes only run to diving?
(As for one of your favored choices: from Politics of Honduras - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :
The President Manuel Zelaya, in 2008, initiated controversy in Honduras with the country's affiliation with the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas ALBA. There was further controversy when he refused to submit the government budget for Congressional approval.
In April and May 2009 Zelaya made clear pronouncements of his intention to organize a non binding poll on holding a referendum about convening a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution.
The Honduran Supreme Court had upheld a lower court injunction against the 28 June poll, and on 26 June while Zelaya ignored the injunction it issued a secret order for his detention.
On June 28 Honduran soldiers entered the presidential palace and arrested Zelaya, preempting the poll. They put him on a military airplane which flew him to Costa Rica.
Subsequently on June 28, the Honduran Congress, in an extraordinary session, voted to remove Zelaya from office and appoint his constitutional successor, Speaker of Congress Roberto Micheletti, in his place as interim President for a term that ends on 27 January 2010.
International reaction was universally negative with widespread condemnation of the events as a coup d'état. Nearly no foreign government had recognized Micheletti as president.
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